What You Should Do In Your Yard Prior to Winter in Louisiana

Many of us in Louisiana are anxiously anticipating winter after a brutal summer, and there are a few things you should do in your yard prior to the season change.

By performing a few small tasks in your yard prior to winter, you can save yourself a lot of work for when temperatures drop and even when spring arrives later in the new year.

So, let's look at a few things we should do prior to the winter months in Louisiana.

For starters, you'll most certainly want to cut your grass. However, you do not want to mow your lawn too low prior to winter.

Leave your lawn about 1.5 to 2 inches tall. If you cut your grass too short or low prior to freezing conditions, your lawn may be susceptible to "root rot."

I had to deal with "root rot" last winter and it is not a pretty sight, and it is very difficult to restore your lawn in the spring.

You'll also want to rake all of the leaves in your yard prior to winter. You do not want to have to do this when it is 28 degrees. Speaking of leaves, it is also a great idea to clean out all of your gutters of leaves or debris prior to winter and the rainy season.

As for fertilizing your lawn, you should apply the fertilizer prior to the end of November. Many think that you only need to fertilize the lawn coming out of winter, but you should also apply it prior to the coldest months of the year.

Lastly, if you have low-lying branches in your yard, you should trim them prior to winter. While we don't often get ice and/or snow in south Louisiana for winter, if we do, the low-lying branches could snap due to added weight.

Save your trees prior to winter with a little maintenance and this could alleviate additional stress on them in the event of an ice storm sweeping across our area.